Garment hanger



Nov. 22, 1960 s. o. RuzlcKA GARMENT HANGER Filed Sept. l5, 1958 UnitedStates Patent G j GARMENT HANGER Stanley 0. Ruzicka, Burbank, Calif.,assignor to Fortner & Perrin, Inc., Glendale, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Filed Sept. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 761,177 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-96)This invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly to ahanger especially useful for hanging skirts.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a hanger forarticles of clothing which is adapted to grip the article at spacedpoints and in which the gripping means are separately operable to gripthe article and are simultaneously released.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger of theabove character in which the both said article gripping and releasingactions are achieved by compressingly grasping appropriate portions ofthe device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger inwhich the foregoing objectives are realized in practice, which is ofsimple construction, is economical to manufacture, is easy to use, andis reliable for its intended purpose.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with such additionalobjects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention residesin the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts described, by way of example, in the following specification ofcertain presently preferred modes of construction of devices embodyingthe invention disclosed in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompartying drawings which form a part of saidspecification and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is ya side elevation of a garment hanger embodying the presentinvention and shown supporting a garment thereon,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the hanger shown in Fig.l, a portion of one of the gripping elements being partially broken awayto show interior construction,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view of the hanger shown in Fig. lsupporting Ia portion of a garment, the View being taken as from theright hand side of Fig. l and the scale being the same as the scale ofFig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the hanger on the same scale as Fig. 2, thegripping jaws being shown in closed position,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the jaws in openposition,

Fig. 6 is a further enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 4 showing one form of sliding and locking ring,

Fig. 7 is a view similar of a plastic locking ring,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a first modified form ofthe gripping jaw,

Fig. 9 is an end elevational View of the jaw shown in Fig. 8,

Fig. l0 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9,

Fig. 1l is a side elevation of a hanger embodying a second modificationof the gripping jaws, and

Fig. 12 is a top plan sectional View taken on the line 12--12 of Fig.11.

to Fig. 6 but showing the use 2,961,134 Patented Nov. 22, 1960 Referringrst to the form of the invention shown in' Figs. l through 6, theinvention comprises a hanging hook 1 formed of a length of resilientwire doubled on itself and the doubled end thereof thence bent to form ahoole portion 2 and thence forming a depending bifurcated shank havingthe ends thereof formed into looped por-l' tions 3, 3 disposedoppositely parallel to each other and spaced from each other as bestshown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.- The looped ends 3, 3 of the hook 1 supportone each of a pair of clamping members comprising horizontal resilientbars 4, 4 secured one each to one each of the loops, 3, 3 at the midlength of the bars by any suitable means such as brazing or welding.Preferably, these bars are formed of resilient round wire `and includeparallel mid length portions and parallel end portions with nonparallelslightly outwardly curved, diagonally extending runs 5 disposed betweenthe parallel end and mid length portions which cross each other so thatthe end portions of each bar are at the opposite sides of the mid lengthportion whereby when the bars are moved laterally with the mid lengthportions thereof moving toward each other, the end portions will bemoving away from each other and vice versa. At each of the points atwhich said non-p-arallel portions cross each other, both bars aresurrounded by one each of a pair of closely fitting rings 6, 6; saidrings, for example, being formed of a short length of wire bent intoring form as best shown in Fig. 6. As initially formed, the looped ends3, 3 of the hanger hook are spread apart further than is perm-'tted bythe mid length portions of the bars 4, 4 so that they impose Va biastending to move the mid length portions of the bars away from eachother.

Each of the bar-s 4, 4 carries a at each end thereof; said jaws beingpreferably formed of a plastic material and the jaws being arranged in0pposing pairs at the ends of the bars with the opposing garmentengaging faces of the jaws being serrated or otherwise roughened as bestshown at S, 8 in Fig. 3, to securely grip a garment such as thewaistband of a skirt or the waistband or cuff of a pair of trousersbetween the jaws constituting each pair. In the form shown in Fig. 2,the gripping jaws 7 are molded to the ends of the bars 4, 4. Otherarrangements can be used, some of which will be later discussed.

To describe the mode of use of the first described form of the device,it will be assumed that initially the jaws are separated from each otheras shown in Fig. 5. A portion of the garment is inserted between onepair of jaws `and those jaws are manually gripped and pressed togetheragainst the garment. The change in position of the crossing portions 5of the bars adjacent the said one pair of jaws thus compressed againstthe garment causes the surrounding ring 6 thereof to move outwardlytoward the jaws as the said crossing po'nt thus moves outwardly. Theclose t of the ring, the slight curvature of the runs of the bars 4, 4forming the crossing portions 5 aided by the outward bfas supplied bythe shank portions of the hook combine to cause the ring 6 to remain inthe position to which is has been moved thus holding the jaws in thegripping position achieved by manually pressing that pair of jawstogether. The other pair of jaws are then s'milarly attached to thegarment and the garment can then be hung by the hanger hook upon thehanging rod or similar place. When it is desired to remove the garmentfrom the hanger, it is necessary only to manually press the center ormid length portions of the bars 4, 4 together to overcome the bias ofthe shank portions of the hanging hook suiiiciently to change the angleof the portions 5 of the bars as they pass through the rings. Thegreater bias is now that of the jaws tend'ng to separate and the ringsquickly slip toward the center of the members allowing both pairs ofjaws to open simulgarment gripping jaw 7 taneously and release thegarment. Thus, the garment hanger is attached to lthe garment iirst byone pair of jaws and then by the other but both pairs of jaws aresimultaneously released from the garment.

Referring next to Fig. 7 there is shown a ring 9 which is smilar to therings 6 which 'is formed of a material such as for example, nylon, forhangers to support lighter weight garments. Such a ring improves theappearance of the hanger and has sufficient strength to hold theclamping jaws together without the ring itself being materiallydistorted.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show a first modied form of gripping jaw in whfch theends of the bars 4, 4 'are bent downwardly into a vertical portion andthence laterally and upwardly to form a hook-like portion 1@ over whicha short length of resilient rubber tubing 11 is stretched to form thegarment gripping jaw.

Referring finally to Figs. 11 and 12, a second modified form of garmentgripping arrangement is shown wherein the ends of the bars 4, 4 are bentdownwardly and extend into rigid jaw elements 1.2 which extend from endto end of the bars 4, 4 and in which al1 except lthe end portions arecut away so as to be spaced from each other leaving meeting faces ateach end thereof and which are covered with garment gripping surfaces 13which may be either rubber or felt or be suitably ribbed to provideadequate gripping engagement. The action in this second modiiied form ofthe device is substantially the same as in the first described form inthat the jaw elements 12., 12 would be caused to grip the garment rst atone end and jthen at the other by manually pressing the jaws towardLeach other at each end and cause to release the garment by pressing thebars 4, 4 toward each other at their mid- `-l'ength, whereupon both endsof the jaw elements 12, 12 `vwould be caused to move apartsimultaneously. In this Vform of the invention, the outer side faces ofthe jaw elements are preferably disposed outwardly of the bars 4, 4 thusprotecting them against unintentional releasing forces.

While in the foregoing speciiication, by way of example, there has beendisclosed certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention itwill be understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosureand that .the invention embraces all such modifications and changes inthe parts, and in the construction, combination and 'arrangement ofparts as shail come within the purview =of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a garment hanger, a pair of generally horizontal, reverselyidentical, resilient bars having parallel end portions and mid lengthportions and oppositely diagonally extending portions which cross eachother between each end portion and the mid length portion and each ofsaid bars having a garment gripping jaw at each end thereof; said jawsforming two pairs of jaws, one pair each at each end of sad hanger,between which a garment may be gripped and engaged, resilient meansincluding a hanging hook attached to both of said bars Vat the midlength thereof and operative to constantly tend to move said mid lengthportions away from each other, -a rst locking means comprising a ringsurrounding the said crossing portions of both of said bars adjacent toone of said pairs of jaws and positively moveable longitudinally of saidbars toward the adjacent one of said pairs of jaws by movement of saidone of said pairs of jaws toward each other incident to grippingengagement with a garment and positively moveable toward said mid lengthportion of said bars incident to garment releasing movement of said onepair of jaws, and a second locking means corresponding to sa'd iirstlocking means engaging both of said bars at the said crossing portionsthereof between the other pair of said jaws in said mid length portions,the said bias applied by said resilient means to said mid lengthportions of said bars being effective to maintain each of said lockingmeans in any position incident to garment engaging movement of the pairof jaws with which the complementary locking means are associated.

2. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 1 in which said bars are formedof resilient wire and at each end thereof extend downwardly and thenceupwardly in a loop and in which each of said loops carries a jaw havinga garment engaging surface.

3. In .a clamping type garment hanger, a pair of resilient bars eachhaving end .and intermediate portions extending generally horizontallyparallel to corresponding portions of the other bar and having opposedgarment gripping surfaces at each end thereof, said bars adjacent tosaid garment gripping surfaces crossing each other and thence extendingin Vspaced parallel relation to each other between the points at whichthey cross each other, said crossing portions of said bars comprisingruns extending dagonally to the portions thereof between said crossingportions, a hanging hook having a resilient -bi'furcated shank portiondisposed with one each of the portions thereof attached ,to one each ofsaid bars at the midlength thereof and imposing a bias on said barstending to spread them apart at said points of attachment, and a pair ofrings disposed one each surrounding said bars at each of said points ofcrossing, the angles of said diagonal portions being such that pressingthe ends of said bars together will move said rings toward the ends ofsaid bars and such that the bias on said bars deriving from yieldinglygripping a garment and tending to separate the ends of said bars will beineffective to move said rings in the opposite direction on said bars inopposition to the bias imposed by said resilient shank portion of saidhook and so that a change in the angie between said intersectingdiagon-al portions effected by overcoming the bias imposed by saidresilient shank portions will effect release of said rings from theirlocking engagement and allow both ends of the bars to spread apart andrelease a garment held by the garment gripping Vsurfaces thereof.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 877,945rNeumann Feb, 4, '1908 2,209,864 Warren July 30, 194C* 2,212,524 Hu Aug.27, 1940 2,337,723 Levin Dec. 28, 1943 2,727,662 Maloof Dec. 20, 19552,822,115 Cavanagh Feb. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,124 Great BritainFeb. 27., '1952

